Just Like Boiling Milk

I recall my teenage years with such gusto as I write this post because of how much we were tried and tested when it came to upholding certain values. I think the most recurring one being patience. And I’ll always give my parents a ‘thumbs up’ for that. Especially now that in my grown up years, I am able to look back and appreciate those moments. Back then, the reaction they got was probably the fed up growl. Goes something like ‘a silent arrgghh accompanied with an ugly smirk,’ I’m sure you know of it. That’s because the moments they chose to give you a chore always happened when you were doing something that was much more fun and interesting. The classic one was after dinner, when you’re watching a nice program or movie and your mother calls you out, “Kawi, go make for your dad & I some tea.” Or, early Sunday mornings when you’re having your last-minute snooze.

Now, have you ever stood there watching and waiting for milk to boil? For what seems like a couple of endless minutes, the milk is just settled there, being white and looking pretty. No bubbles, no sign that there’s something going on in there. Then just when you decide to look away, that second, the milk rises and it’s a race between time and your reflexes. How quick can you turn off the burner before the milk overflows? Funny, that when someone is watching from a distance, they can see the progress of the milk as it gets to its boiling point. From when it starts heating up and steaming. My mum would walk into the kitchen and throw in a “make sure the milk doesn’t pour.”

The other day, as we prepared breakfast, I happened to complain how it takes ages to boil but when it happens it’s instantaneous. My friend was sitting a little far from the cooker, so she could see what’s going on. And she goes like, “but it’s steaming already, so it’s not far off” and bam! It hits me, isn’t life just like that?

We could be at that point where we are evaluating our lives, but in as much as we want to count our blessings one by one because they’re way too many, for some reason, we’re not able to. I think it’s human to feel like you’ve stagnated, even when there’s so much going on. Most of the time, we either don’t recognize our milestones or we underestimate them.

“Just like boiling milk, when you’re the person watching it, sometimes it might feel like you’ve stalled. And just when you’re at the brink of giving up, you rise…”

… It catches you unawares, that you have to deal with reflexes and reactions. Fortunately, there’s someone out there taking notice of these things and giving them more credit than we do. Watching you and seeing the potential you have and as you slowly crawl out of your shell, relentlessly bubble up and overwhelmingly flourish. That all you have to do is be patient with yourself, continue getting warmed up and eventually rise raise – because you can’t be contained anymore, just like boiling milk.

To a 3-day week and 4-day weekend! Don’t we all love ourselves a festive season?

Signing Off ~~~ *Kawi*

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Kawiria Rincuni (Kawi) is lady with a bright and bubbly personality, who’s passionate about creating social content that positively inspires and impacts people, and most of all, interacting with people in a way that will create more value in their lives.